History of the Peloponnesian War

Directly after the invasion of the Peloponnesians, all Lesbos,[*](Mytilene was an Oligarchical state with dependent towns, Antissa, Pyrrha, and Eresus, only Methymna on the northern coast with Athens. For the revolt, cf. Diod. Sic. xii. 45. The complaint of the Mytilenaeans was founded on the Athenian attempt to prevent their centralisation. See W. Herbst, Der Abfall Mytilenes, 1861; Leithäuser, Der Abfall Mytilenes, 1874.) except Methymna, revolted from Athens. The Lesbians had wished to do this even before the war, but the Lacedaemonians had not taken them into their alliance, and even in this instance they were forced to revolt sooner than they had intended.

For they were waiting until the work should be finished of blocking their harbours, building walls, and constructing ships, and until the arrival of what they needed from the Pontus—archers and grain, and whatever else they were sending for.

But the people of Tenedos, who were at variance with them, and of Methymna, and some of the Mytilenaeans themselves, men in private station who were proxeni[*](The word means literally “public guest,” or “friend.” Under the condition of entertaining and assisting ambassadors and citizen of the state they represented they enjoyed certain privileges from that state, and answered pretty nearly to our Consuls and Residents, though the proxenus was always a member of the state where he served.) of the Athenians, were moved by partisanship to turn informers and notify the Athenians that the Mytilenaeans were attempting to bring all Lesbos into a political union centred in Mytilene; that all their preparations were being hurried forward, in concert with the Lacedaemonians and with their kinsmen the Boeotians, with the purpose of revolting; and that unless someone should forestall them forthwith, Lesbos would be lost to Athens.